One of the most critical factors to consider before enterprises undergo a digital transformation journey – one that involves the consolidation of their data center assets – is how to build an Interconnection strategy. This enables them to build business capabilities around their partner ecosystems to deliver services to their users and end-customers.

In this regard, it is important to look at data centers as strategic assets. Places where the right Interconnection strategies can help an enterprise create a virtual market place and execution venue for their business.

With digital acting as a new platform that transcends geographical boundaries, competition can come from anywhere. So, as enterprises plan to build new capabilities to serve a global marketplace and leverage capabilities from multiple Cloud Service Providers, there are lots of things to consider. Specifically, how underlying technology infrastructure can support the growing complexity of managing interconnected networks of hybrid-cloud applications and workloads built to solve a list of business pain points that keeps on growing.

For example, consider incorporating a framework for security on strategic initiatives, such as building Internet of Things capabilities on data gravity and leveraging the proximity between data sources and the path it traverses to the data analytics platform.

Mapping these back to the actual problem statements and business pain points you are trying to solve – and strategically placing data center and Interconnection strategies at the heart of the problem – can help. This enables you to look at building data insights that help improve efficiencies for existing business operations, and subsequently generate growth.

This interconnected analytics platform helps you better understand the value chain of partner ecosystems. And it shows how you can slowly transform your own business capabilities or even models, and build a platform that can continue to evolve.

It is essentially about breaking down existing silos – mindsets and capabilities. Instead of looking at platforms from a vertical appliance stack, it helps to define how service-centric strategies, that are delivered from multiple Software-based platforms, can work on your data center platforms.

Interconnected by design

So, where do you start? How can you gain insights and learn from use cases about early adopters and leaders in the digital transformation space? How do you navigate the complex undertaking of going from strategy to execution, based on business outcomes and leveraging Interconnection-first ecosystems and architectures? Doing so requires an understanding that spans across multiple domains, such as market-specific practices and technology maturity, regulatory and compliance frameworks, and identifying and building an ecosystem of delivery partners.

Identifying a global partner that has been at the heart of helping enterprises and service providers build Interconnection and ecosystem-based capabilities to support their digital transformation strategies is a solid approach.

As discussed in my recent video, such has been the work of the Global Solutions Architects (GSAs), a global business organization within Equinix. We understand business outcomes, define ways to remove or reduce technology adoption barriers and build repeatable reference architectures as part of a technology roadmap. And, since 2011, I’ve been leading this organization for the Asia Pacific region.

Executing Digital Transformation Through Platform Equinix

We focus, in particular, on two broad digital transformation aspects or practices – Hybrid Cloud and Network Transformation.

These are the least understood areas, but ones which drive the biggest impact because they translate into actual business capabilities. Customers can then incorporate these into roadmaps or as part of an ongoing drive towards building a more efficient service delivery platform.

Equinix’s underlying capabilities in these two areas are Performance Hub and Cloud Exchange. And you do not have to be a global multinational enterprise or service provider to benefit from them. The reference architectures and best practices that we’ve built over the years can be incorporated to match blueprints of any size. Download the Interconnection Strategy Guide here and stay tuned for a more in-depth look at customer challenges across the Asia-Pacific region in my next blog post.